"Safety" concerns cancel Hebburn Christmas lights switch on
Hebburn’s 2024 Christmas light switch on has been cancelled with organsisers claiming safety concerns would leave the site dangerous.
The decision was made public on the morning of the scheduled event with a post to social media.
It read: “Unfortunately, we have had to make the very difficult decision to cancel the Hebburn Christmas Lights Switch On tonight (Mon 25 Nov) due to safety.
“The weather is showing over 40mph wind gusts alongside a high chance of rain. It is not safe to set up the gazebos and electrics or operate fairground rides.
“Unfortunately, the event cannot be rescheduled as we need to book a lot of suppliers and entertainment in advance.
Further switch on events across the region included one at South Shields, which took place on Thursday, November 21 and Jarrow, which took place on Friday, November 22.
The current Met Office forecast for the day suggests that, although skies are expected to remain clear, wind gusts will peak at 48 miles per hour in the town. These will only fall to 40 as we enter the evening.